Glens Falls’ Common Council voted unanimously to adopt a modified permit-parking resolution for three downtown city lots and the first floor of the Clinton Avenue parking garage, capping months of contentious debate over how the city manages its scarce downtown spaces. The new rules raise permit fees, but drivers without a permit can still park in the three lots overnight and on weekends.
According to The Post-Star, the three city lots become permit-only only if permits are sold for all available spaces, a condition expected to be met. The resolution also designates the first floor of the Clinton Avenue garage as permit-only. Under the modified plan, one purchased permit can cover up to two registered vehicles tied to the same account, though only one of those vehicles may actually occupy the designated garage or lot at any given time, the paper reports.
The unanimous vote followed weeks of debate over an earlier version of the resolution. That previous attempt split the council on Oct. 13, when members voted 3-2 to impose permit-only paid parking in the Warren, Ridge and Exchange Street lots along with the Clinton Avenue garage facing Elm Street, according to the Glens Falls Chronicle. Dan Donohue, Bob Landry and Ben Lapham voted in favor that day, while Dan Rice and Sean Palladino voted no and Mary Gooden was absent, the Chronicle reported.
A Council Member Who Once Voted No Explains His Reversal
Sean Palladino, who voted against the original July 28 version of the resolution, explained his support for the modified version at Tuesday’s Common Council meeting. He said the compromise allows enforcement during the day while still letting visitors and residents park without a permit at night and on weekends, the city’s report notes.
Mary Gooden also acknowledged that the fee increase is substantial, since permit fees had not changed in many years, but said it was still not more than what other cities charge. The Glens Falls Chronicle previously reported that the city’s parking permit fee schedule had not been updated since 2009, underscoring how long the rates had gone untouched before this overhaul.
The earlier Oct. 13 version called for $40 monthly or $20 weekly workday permits in the Warren, Exchange and Ridge Street lots, running Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a $5 daily permit available only for the Warren Street lot, per the Chronicle. The modified resolution sets weekday permit hours at those same three lots from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A Rocky Road to Compromise
The push to rework downtown parking rules didn’t move in a straight line. A July 28 proposal covering the Clinton Avenue garage and the Exchange, Warren and Ridge Street lots was tabled so the city could pursue further discussions with the public, Palladino wrote at the time. That pause followed what the Chronicle described as public outcry and an unusually large number of residents turning out to speak during public comment.
During this week’s meeting, the public comment period again included a resident speaking against the resolution, who criticized both the fee increases and general conditions at the Clinton Avenue garage, according to the seed reporting. A separate push during the Oct. 13 meeting to make 90% of the Exchange, Warren and Ridge Street lots permit-only had failed on a 2-3 vote, the Chronicle reported, suggesting the council was already looking for a narrower approach before landing on this week’s compromise.
Part of a Broader Downtown Parking Rethink
City officials have framed the permit changes as one piece of a larger effort to manage downtown parking as Glens Falls sees increasing density and more people wanting to live there, Diana Palmer said, adding that the city must continue to adjust as it assesses parking needs. That broader effort is already visible elsewhere downtown: the city is extending its two-hour parking limit to three hours and has removed time limits on parking outside the downtown core, according to the GlensFalls.com Business Journal.
The city is also considering a tiered permit system with daytime, night-and-weekend, and full-time options, and is working with businesses and other lot owners to open more private lots to the public at night and on weekends, per the same outlet. Officials have additionally floated reducing parking-space dimensions, shrinking the maximum size from 26 feet down to 20 feet on corners and 22 feet elsewhere, to squeeze more spaces out of existing lots.
Public appetite for permits may be limited even as the city expands overnight access. A past Post-Star survey found that more than two-thirds of people who supported the idea of overnight parking in Glens Falls said they were not interested in actually purchasing a permit, a finding that may help explain why this week’s compromise preserves free overnight and weekend parking for non-permit holders rather than requiring permits at all hours.
